● Fonseca will play Djokovic for the first time; Zverev earns 550th tour-level win
The emotion on Joao Fonseca’s face said it all Wednesday evening in Paris.
The 19-year-old showed how much the moment meant after rallying past 20-year-old Dino Prizmic 3-6, 4-6, 6-3, 6-1, 6-2 to reach the third round at Roland Garros and set a blockbuster clash against 24-time major champion Novak Djokovic.
“I think he played really good in the first two sets. It was tough for me. I was not playing good, and he was just destroying me,” Fonseca said. “I’m very happy the way that I stayed positive, the way that I stayed with the good mentality.”
For a while, it looked like the 2024 Next Gen ATP Finals champion would fall short of claiming the 50th tour-level win of his career. But the 28th-seeded Fonseca battled back to make the third round on the French clay for the second straight season, becoming the first Brazilian man to achieve the feat since Thomaz Bellucci in 2010 and 2011.
Fonseca did not earn a break point in the first two sets against the in-form Prizmic, who defeated Djokovic in Rome. But the teen began firing with his forehand, converting six of his seven break points in the next three sets to survive in three hours and 27 minutes.
Fonseca played his first five-set match in the second round of last year’s Australian Open, falling to Lorenzo Sonego. But the two-time ATP Tour titlist would not be denied in Paris, fittingly completing his victory with a forehand winner.
The Rio de Janeiro native will open his Lexus ATP Head2Head series with Djokovic in the next round. The Serbian also worked hard Wednesday, battling past home favourite Valentin Royer in four sets.
“For me it’s just a big pleasure. I always talk to my coach, like, ‘I want to be in Novak’s draw’,” Fonseca said. “I just want to have this experience in my life. I think I’m just going to enjoy it. I mean, being in Roland Garros, third round, for me it’s just a dream. I’m going to enjoy every moment playing against an idol, the GOAT of the sport. Yeah, hopefully I can do a great match.
“Of course, stepping on the court, of course I’m going to respect him, but trying to make my best and win this match.”
In other action, 2024 finalist Alexander Zverev also reached the third round on Wednesday, when he earned a 6-4, 6-2, 6-2 victory against an injury-hampered Tomas Machac.
“For one and a half sets it was an amazing level from both of us,” Zverev said. “Tomas played really, really well. The injury stopped the flow a little, but I thought it was a fantastic level… I hope his injury is nothing too serious.”
Following his one-hour, 48-minute triumph, the second seed advanced to the third round of the clay major for the 10th time in his career. With the victory, the German also notched his 550th tour-level win, becoming the first man born since 1990 to achieve the feat, as well as the third German man in the Open Era to reach the milestone after Boris Becker (713) and Tommy Haas (569).
